Leaping Unicorn
A #PaperAutomata Project
The Leaping Unicorn is a brand‑new paper automata project for you to download, print and make. Premium subscribers can grab the parts and the step‑by‑step instructions from the PDF at the bottom of this page, thank you so much for your support.
If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can download the file here, or sign up to become a premium member and get access to all future projects.
I’ve made other projects that run and leap, going right back to one of my earliest paper animation kits, the Flying Pig. In that model the body was fixed and the legs were hinged, moving up and down via pushrods connected to the top of the box.
For this project I wanted the body to really arch as it moves, so the legs are fixed to the sides of the body and the body itself is split into three hinged sections. As you turn the crank, the front and back sections lift up and down, creating that deep arching motion and raising the legs with it.
The result works well! I’m really pleased with how it has turned out.
The project comes as a downloadable PDF. The parts are designed to be printed on thin card with colour on both sides. Print the front of the parts first, then flip the card and return it to your printer to print the back.
The second half of the PDF contains fully illustrated, step‑by‑step instructions to guide you through making the unicorn and bringing it to life.
I really hope you have fun bringing the Leaping Unicorn to life. Thanks for taking the time to read this issue and have a fantastic weekend. If you’d like to support the newsletter and get every new project as it’s released, please consider subscribing.